Playing polo in Philly

Updated 2:24 PM ET, Wed March 7, 2012

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Positively polo – Leshaun Walker, Sihgerra Myers and Sydney Rutledge exercise horses in a paddock at the Chamounix Equestrian Center in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, home to the Work To Ride long-term prevention program for middle- to high-school-aged youth.

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Positively polo – Sihgerra Myers, 14, takes a break from stable duties on a recent Friday night. Myers is a member of the Work To Ride women's polo team.

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Positively polo – Brandon Rease, 16, checks the saddle on his horse Billy. Rease said he never imagined he'd be riding horses or playing polo -- a sport usually reserved for royalty and the super rich. "I guess in other people's eyes it's weird. But to us it's just normal habit that we do every day -- ride, play polo and travel," he said.

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Positively polo – Kenshaun Walker grabs a saddle to put on a horse before heading out ride. "This is my second home, and I need to be here if I want to be something in life," said Walker, 15, who plays on the men's team and is in his sixth year with the program. "This is my top way to get me out of Philadelphia, out of all the people who's making bad decisions."

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Positively polo – Sydney Rutledge walks a horse barn to the stables before going out to ride. Rutledge, 15, once afraid of horses, now plays on the Work To Ride women's polo team. Last year, while Hiner was dropping her off at home, she heard gunshots. "The worst thing I ever saw was (that) man get shot in front of me," she said. "That's why I don't like being around where I live."

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Positively polo – Kenshaun Walker, 15, tacks up a horse inside the barn at Work To Ride. Tucked away in the heart of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, the stable has become an urban oasis for at-risk youth, like Walker, who hail from the city's most dangerous neighborhoods. "I don't care if I'm not rich. I don't care if my mother's single. I don't care what I don't have. I'm willing to do anything in life to make it to the pros in polo," he said.

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philly photo 05 – Rhyheem Cauley works out his horse on a recent blustery Saturday afternoon. Cauley, 19, used to visit the Chamounix Equestrian Center to watch the horses when he was younger. He spent five years in the program.

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Positively polo – Brian Ferrell makes his way through the stable wearing his polo helmet and towing his horse's saddle. Ferrell, 13, joined Work To Ride five years ago. Ferrell, alongside his fellow riders, gets to ride horses in exchange for cleaning out stalls and brushing down horses.

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Positively polo – Saddiq Myers, 13, rides one of the stable ponies around the paddock at the Chamounix Equestrian Center in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. Myers is entering his fourth year with Work To Ride. His sisters, Sihgerra, 14, and Sudayaah, 9, also participate in the program.

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Positively polo – Sixteen-year-old Brandon Rease checks his cell phone while waiting for the others to finish tacking their horses. Rease, had to walk several blocks in the rain from the bus stop to reach the stable. "In my neighborhood and all of our neighborhoods, there's normal day-to-day violence, drug dealing and kids around a bunch of negativity. When you come to the barn or travel, all of that is washed away and you can be a kid."

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Positively polo – Work To Ride includes nearly 30 horses and 20 kids who all qualify as low income. Last March, Work To Ride's men's high school polo team was the first all-black team to win the National Interscholastic Polo Championship. They defend the title later this month in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Positively polo – Nine-year-olds Sudayaah Myers and Aniyah Foreman head toward the Work To Ride paddock to watch the horses before having to wrangle up their ponies for an afternoon exercise session.

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Positively polo – Sudayaah Myers, 9, dangles from the paddock fencepost. Lezlie Hiner, who opened the barn doors in 1994, founded Work To Ride. In addition to working with the horses, staff and volunteers provide after school tutoring and require students maintain passing grades. "I fell off a pony before, but I got back on it," she said. "We all have our favorites."

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Positively polo – Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program, the nation's largest mural program, erected a mural in West Philadelphia in honor of Work To Ride. The players' success led to them being featured on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," ESPN's "E: 60" and even in "Sports Illustrated." "We're doing beyond what kids would do in the city. So, it's special."